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Illegal Jacks

Illegal Jacks previously was situated on Lothian Road and had rapidly become an institution in Edinburgh before it’s untimely demise through no fault of its own. I was pleased to see it was able to re-establish itself elsewhere and in a better location for me. I will declare my interest here as I did contribute to the Kickstarter campaign to get Illegal Jacks back on track.

Burrito – Illegal Jacks

I nipped in here at lunchtime with a work colleague. The venue is a fair bit smaller than its previous location. It has a squished service area which makes it perhaps a little slower in terms of service but this leaves a bigger dining area for the customers. We both ordered small burritos. I went for beef chilli with pinto beans, mild salsa, cheese and soured cream (all laid on a bed of rice). My colleague went for the same but with haggis to replace the chilli. I got a refillable diet coke. My colleague had wanted a bottle of water but disappointingly they didn’t have any even though it was on menu. So she opted for a refillable diet coke too.

The end of my burrito – Illegal Jacks

I do have to apologise for the poor quality of photos as I managed to remember to take a ‘before’ photo but only remembered to take a photo of the unwrapped burrito when I’d almost completed demolishing it! The burrito is served in foil, which makes it perfect as a take away back to the office or on the way home if you don’t have time to sit in. Unwrapping the burrito and taking the first bite resulted in delicious gooey-ness. The tortilla was nice and soft and the filling was generous. All the fillings were tasty and worked really well. On the other side of the table, my colleague also thought her burrito was nice but the haggis lacked a bit of spice and was a bit sloppy. She couldn’t work out whether it was because she was a ‘haggis snob’ or whether this was a genuine improvement which could be made.

The venue itself is covered in red and black hues with chipboard to make it look all industrial. The best bit for me was the 80s music playing in the background. I couldn’t help but have the odd shimmy whilst eating.

This is a solid return for Illegal Jacks. I am looking forward to trying other menu items on a return visit.